


Bleach Blond

by aqonoluna



Series: RyuGoro [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Good Akechi Goro, Hair Dyeing, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, M/M, Sad, Sad Sakamoto Ryuji, Sakamoto Ryuji Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27021829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqonoluna/pseuds/aqonoluna
Summary: Ryuji Sakamoto hasn’t dyed his hair in weeks due to stressors at home. He ends up finding understanding from one of the most... unlikely people.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Sakamoto Ryuji
Series: RyuGoro [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970908
Comments: 2
Kudos: 81





	Bleach Blond

Ryuji Sakamoto wore his emotions on his sleeve.

When he was happy, everyone knew it. When he was pissed off or mad, absolutely everyone knew it. When he was excited, everyone knew about it. Hell, when he had an emotion, people usually knew about it, because he wasn’t the type to keep his emotions to himself. Life was too short to do something like that.

That was, of course, unless that emotion was sadness…

…because in that case, he bottled up sadness, threw it in a safe, and tossed away the key, never to be seen again. 

There, in the safety of the back of his mind, his sadness would stay, until he could no longer recall what it was he was sad about… and then he’d continue on about his day, about his _life,_ as if not a thing had happened.

Until his sadness managed to pull a magic act and get free… and then he would have to do the whole song and dance again.

Sometimes, though, Ryuji wasn’t in the mood for the usual song and dance… Sometimes, he didn’t want to throw his sadness back, and forget about it. Not because he wanted someone to notice it (maybe he did, but he much preferred making all the people around him happy), but because… he was too tired.

Like right now.

Ryuji was too tired to do anything about his sadness… and he had been for so long now, his roots were starting to grow in.

Luckily (as lucky as he could be that no one paid attention to him), no one seemed to notice it, and if they did, they were either not saying anything out of kindness, or they didn’t care… so, blissfully, he didn’t have to explain anything.

Perfect.

Great.

“Sakamoto-kun,” a gentle voice said, but it wasn’t a gentle voice Ryuji had heard before, so it made him bristle. When he turned around, he saw Akechi, looking… concerned? Looking confused? Looking… sad? Why was he sad? Had something happened that he didn’t notice? Probably. It would figure; he always missed something. “Are you… running low on money?”

“What?” Ryuji sputtered. “What kinda question is that? The hell makes ya think I could be runnin’ low on money? …and why is it suddenly yer problem, even if I was, _which I ain’t,_ by the way.”

Akechi nodded. “I merely thought I would ask, just to be polite,” he said. At Ryuji’s confused eyebrow furrowing, he continued. “I noticed your hair is much more black at the roots than you usually allow it to be. I figured that you ran out of money to go to the salon to have it done.”

Ryuji’s nostril flared. “My mom does it.”

“I see,” Akechi said.

“My mom _ain’t dead,_ if that what yer about t’ start tryin’ t’ figure next,” he said. He was quiet for a beat, then swallowed, frowning. He began bouncing his leg, which was a notable sign of frustration or anxiety… although it could also mean he was trying to stave off emotions, and considering the only emotion Akechi never saw Ryuji express was sadness, he had to conclude that was it. “She just… hasn’t had a chance t’ do it for me.”

“I hope she’s all right.”

“What d’ya give a rat’s ass?”

“My mother died when I was young,” Akechi said as if it were all just matter of fact… but there was a twinge in his tone. It was unmistakable. _Ryuji could hear it._ “It may not seem possible to you, but I _did_ love her… a lot. I merely don’t wish to see those around me suffer the same way I did... regardless of my feelings toward such those people.”

Ryuji was quiet… then swallowed the lump in his throat… then his lip quivered but nothing came after that. No tears, no crying. The quivering lip was the only indication he was even kind of sad.

“She’s... been real sick,” he murmured, kicking up dust with his shoe as he looked down. “I don’t know what with, but she’s been sick for weeks, and… I haven’t wanted t’ bother her with somethin’ as… as stupid as my hair.”

“Will she recover?”

Now he let out a choked sound, but said nothing. All he could do was shrug... because he had no idea if she was going to recover. The doctors kept explaining to him what was going on, but he didn’t understand.

Akechi was quiet for a moment.

Then nodded.

“Come along, then,” he said, turning on his heels. He headed away from the Diet Building, toward all the little shops in Shibuya. “Don’t fall behind.”

“What?! Where’re we goin’?!”

Ryuji balked, hurrying after Akechi. It was the first time in weeks he felt something that wasn’t sadness and stress.

“The salon. I’m paying to have your hair bleached. I won’t hear any arguments; your hair looks utterly atrocious like that.”

_…and your sad face makes me sad, and I can’t have that._

“ _Are ya serious?_ Ya can’t possibly be serious right now...?”

“I’m _very_ serious, Sakamoto-kun. I don’t just make these offers out of nowhere, to just anyone,” Akechi replied, glancing over his shoulder. Ryuji was still following him but he still said, “Now... come along and don’t make me wait.”

… This was _insane_.

“Right. Comin’.”


End file.
